Fires were set at four villages, including Tintila Parha and Manikjur in the Longdu Sadar Upazila on Friday, said Langdu Police Station OC Mominul Hoque.
Restrictions on gathering, under Section 144, have been imposed following the developments, said Upazila Acting Executive Officer Tazul Islam.
But Chittagong Hill Tracts Jana Sanghati Samiti Information and Publicity Secretary Mangal Kumar Chakma claims over 150 homes and stores belonging to the tribal community were burned in the protest.
An elderly woman has died in the fires and a couple is missing, alleges Jana Sanghati Samiti Langdu Upazila Branch General Secretary Manishankar Chakma.
Local tribal people have fled the area in fear, he said.
“We have had no reports of casualties,” said district Superintendent of Police Md Tariqul Hassan when asked about the situation. “But we have arrested three for setting the fires.”
The body of local Awami League leader Nurul Islam Nayan had been found near the Khagrachari-Dighinala Road area on Thursday.
The body was handed to relatives on Friday morning after an autopsy. The protest march began soon after the body was taken to the Sadar Upazila’s Batya Parha. According to locals, the protesters began setting ablaze the homes of hill peoples in the Tintila Pahra, Batya Parha, Manikjur and Boradarm areas.
“Some of the rowdier protesters began throwing brickbats at the homes of tribal people,” Langdu Police Station OC Mominul Hoque told bdnews24.com. “Later on they began setting their homes on fire.”
Photos of the flames and people fleeing the houses with bags and belongings made their way onto social media sites such as Facebook.
On Friday afternoon, an urgent law enforcement meeting led by Additional Deputy Commissioner Prakash Kanti Chowdhury was called at the Langdu Upazila Parishad auditorium.
The administration assured those gathered that an investigation would be launched into the damages from the attack and that those responsible would be brought to justice, said Langdu Upazila Project Implementation Officer Md Tayeb.
“The Upazila administration has clamped Section 144,” said Rangamati District Commissioner Mohammad Manzararul Mannan.
"Teams of police and army personnel have been deployed in the area to bring the situation under control. We will soon decide necessary measures for the victims.”